Staff Reporter, Kishoreganj :
A section of fishermen are indiscriminately catching different species of fish including fry and mother fish in the haor areas of Kishoreganj, Netrokhona, Sunamganj and Habiganj amid ban on catching fish in these large water bodies.
Different varieties of fry and mother fish are also being caught with banned nets like mosquito nets and current nets from different areas of Narshundha, Dhanu, Gorauttra, Surma, Meghan and other rivers in the area.
Although, new water has not yet fully arrived in the rivers, haors and canals of Kishoreganj district, known as the largest fishpond of the country local fishermen have started hunting the mother fish already.
It has been learned that mother fish is being hunted in various ways in the haor areas, rivers and canals of Kishoreganj comprising 13 upazilas.
In the last few days, rivers, canals and haors in Kishoreganj Sadar, Karimganj, Itna, Mithamin, Austagram, Tarail, Katiadi, Pakundia, Bhairab Upazilas have been flooded with water. Along with the water came Puti, Batashi, Tangra, Shoal, Magur and various native species of mother fish with eggs.
The local unscrupulous groups of fishermen are catching and selling them openly ignoring ban on hunting mother fishes.
According to the local fisheries office, the mother fish usually lay eggs in May-July. As soon as new water starts coming, the fish start hatching. At this time fishing is absolutely forbidden. Under the Fisheries Act of 1950, hunting of eggs and mother fish is legally prohibited.
However, as soon as the water came, local fishermen went down to hunt the mother fish.
The demand for fish production this year was 70,530 metric tons. Exceeding the target, the production has been 82,283 metric tons. Fisheries officials believe the production would have been higher if the mother fish had not been hunted unabated like this.
It has been learned that at present, Tengra is being sold at Tk 300 per kg, Batasi at Tk 700, Mola at Tk 400, Boal at Tk 1,000 and Cat fish at Tk 400 in different fish markets of Kishoreganj. At different points, mother fish is being caught with different materials including badai, current, dry net. Egg-rich Tengra, Batasi, Roau, Mrigel, Ghania, Kalbaus, Carp, Magur, Shoal, Putti, Sarputi, Mola, Boal, Taki, Cat fish and other native species of mother fish are being killed openly.
